We Treat Your Home Like Our Own
Unlike homes with basements or crawl spaces, a slab floor is solid concrete with no structural wood flooring system. For homes with this type of floor, soft soil or bad compaction is almost always the culprit. Once the soil is compromised, the slab will shift, and this creates the sagging or sinking effect. Pressure from that shift will sometimes crack the slab itself, causing high and low places in the flooring. To fix this type of damage, you need concrete slab repairs.
Water is a probable suspect, as it seeps into the ground around your foundation. The sill plate, wood beams, and floor joists are all vulnerable to this; these wooden components on top of your foundation are the wood framing system that supports your floor. Because it has direct contact with the concrete and can be over the exposed soil line, it often falls victim to water intrusion. Once water intrudes and saturates the wood, this leads to deterioration. It’s this deterioration that causes the floor system to fail.
But you don’t have to have standing water under your house to cause structural decay. High humidity can also damage the beams and joists that hold up your subfloor. Wood is highly porous and readily absorbs water from the air. Over time, this water saturation softens and rots the boards. As they decay, they compress under the weight of your home, lowering your floor sometimes by several inches.
Lack of building codes- or outdated ones- are another concern. A main support beam, the post that spans the length of your home, should be sized proportionately and supported every few feet. In many homes, the beams may not be the correct size or the support posts are installed too far apart. This over-spanning puts greater stress on the beam and makes it more likely to sag and potentially even fail.
Along the same lines, if your home is more than 50 years old, it’s also possible that inadequate materials are to blame. When a home is built, sometimes the beams or joists are not the correct dimensions. When this happens, a contractor will install a shim; a shim is a thin piece that adds a minimal lift to ‘even out’ the installation. Many times in construction, that shim was usually another piece of wood; at Acculevel we use steel shims to prevent compression or rot. These shims also allow us to increase the overall surface of the bearing load, so that the beam it’s supporting is not crushed by the weight of your home.
Technology is another age-related factor. New solutions and materials are always in development, but they take time to become commonplace. Before the 1970s, pretreated or pressure-treated lumber was not widely available or regularly used by builders. Lumber installed in its original ‘raw’ form is more vulnerable to insects and water damage.
New trends in home design can have a negative effect if a remodel doesn’t take the weight of the raw materials into account. Many older homes aren’t built to carry the load of solid granite countertops or stone-tiled floors and walls. Recreational items like a pool table or hot tub will also add significant weight to your floor system. These are all items that can put additional stress onto an already failing wood structure.
Contact Acculevel! We provide free estimates on sagging floor repairs.
We addressed a structural issue at Joseph's home where the chimney was visibly pulling away from the house. The team installed support piers to correct the alignment and reinforce the stability of the chimney. This essential repair, costing around $4,100, ensures that the chimney is properly secured and prevents future shifting.
Near Marion, IN
We tackled sagging floors in the kitchen and laundry room for Michael, focusing on reinforcing the joists that previous owners attempted to repair. This essential structural work, priced around $4,800, ensures stability and safety for the home. Our team worked diligently to address these concerns and provide a long-lasting solution.
Near Marion, IN
Our team completed a crack repair job on a warehouse floor in zip code 46953. The project involved sealing multiple cracks and applying reinforcement techniques to ensure the floor's durability. This type of maintenance is crucial for heavy-duty industrial use and helps to prevent further damage in high-traffic areas. The work was done for an approximate cost of $2,000.
Near Marion, IN
Addressed sinking issues in a cinderblock crawlspace for Carolyn in the 46953 area. The focus was on stabilizing the structure and mitigating settling problems, particularly in the kitchen area where the main beam required attention. This project aimed to ensure the integrity and safety of the property, with an approximate cost of $4,840.
Near Marion, IN
Addressed two horizontal cracks in Barbara's external foundation, ensuring stability and preventing further structural issues. The project focused on reinforcement to secure the home's integrity with an estimated cost of about $20,205.
Near Marion, IN
Addressed a structural issue in the crawlspace, focusing on reinforcing the foundation and supporting the corner to prevent further sloping. The homeowner was concerned about the limited space, but our team ensured proper stabilization. The approximate cost for the project was $48,563, completed in zip code 46953 for Joe.
Near Marion, IN
Addressed foundation issues for Dory in zip code 46952. Two significant cracks in the basement wall were sealed, and stabilization work was performed to correct a slight inward lean. The overall project, aimed at enhancing structural integrity, was completed for an approximate cost of $5,900.
Near Marion, IN
Our team completed an extensive foundation stabilization project for a commercial property in zip code 46953. The work involved reinforcing the foundation with advanced supports to ensure long-term stability. This critical repair, completed for approximately $13,700, addresses previous structural concerns and provides a robust solution to prevent future issues.
Near Marion, IN
Our team tackled significant structural repairs to address sagging floors and cracked walls in the 46952 area. This involved using precise leveling techniques and reinforcing the existing foundation. The project came in at an approximate cost of $15,600, ensuring long-term stability and safety for the homeowner.
Near Marion, IN
